Modern drummers typically perform on a set of snare, tom, tenor, and bass drum (or kick drum) instruments, with a combination of crash, ride, and high-hat cymbals and other accessories. Drum sets are adapted for the drummer to use both hands and feet, in order to play all of the different components of the drum set, during a given performance.
A common type of drum played by foot is the kick drum or bass drum. Bass drums are often the largest drum in the set; however, the bass drum itself can vary in size. Suitable bass drums are usually adapted to produce a range of lower-pitched notes and sounds, and are used in numerous musical genres.
To play a kick drum or bass drum by foot, drummers generally use a kick drum pedal. Kick drum pedal technologies emerged by the late 1800s. The first designs were generally made of wood, and incorporated a pendulum-type beater hanging from the top of the bass drum hoop or rim, connected to the foot pedal by a cord or rod. Over time, kick drum pedal designs were improved in a variety of forms, including current versions that typically rest on the floor, along with the drum, and mount to the drum along the bottom section of the rim.
Contemporary kick drum pedal designs typically include, among other elements, a base plate, a heel plate, a footboard, a chain, a beater shaft, a beater mallet, a spring, and a hoop clamp. The drum pedal is positioned next to the bass drum, so that the beater mallet strikes the drum generally parallel to the drum head. The pedal usually attaches to the kick drum hoop, which is a ring of wood or metal that holds the drum head onto the drum shell or drum body. In principle, the attachment prevents the kick drum pedal from moving while a drummer plays the drum, but not all drum pedal technologies work equally well, particularly in high-performance settings where the pedal is subject to continuous operational stress. A range of different hoop configurations must also be accommodated, with different attachment geometries.
One approach to attaching the kick drum pedal to the drum hoop is via a traditional hoop clamp. The drum rim slides in between the pedal base plate and hoop clamp, so that the clamp can be screwed down or otherwise tightened onto the drum hoop or rim, while holding the drum in place. Traditional hoop clamps can be manually engaged and tightened by turning a drum key or a screw located either on the side of the pedal or on the back end of the hoop clamp.
Hoop clamp adjustments can be hard to reach when installed in a drum set, making pedal setup and adjustment difficult. When the clamp adjustment is on the back, for example, the drummer may need to reach around the footboard to manually turn the screw. When the clamp adjustment is on the side of the pedal, the drummer may need to work around any number of other drums, cymbal stands and other components, just to reach the clamp, and the adjustment mechanism can be difficult to operate in this position.
Because the clamp mechanism requires precise manual adjustment, it can be difficult to maintain a suitable coupling to the drum hoop. The drummer has to tighten the clamp sufficiently so that the pedal does not come loose while playing, while being sure to not overtighten the mechanism, which can lead to failure. As a result, existing clamp designs do not always maintain an effective grip on the drum hoop, and can fail during operation, making it difficult or impossible to play the drum. There thus remains a need for improved kick drum pedal designs, with better coupling technologies adapted to properly maintain a grip on the drum hoop, while making the drum setup and pedal installation process easier.
The information included in this background section of the specification, including any references cited herein and any description or discussion thereof, is included for technical reference purposes only. The background is not to be regarded as subject matter by which the scope of invention is limited or bound, as defined by the claims.